Davos, a continuation of Zimbabwe`s patient reengagement process
Hosia Mviringi
The ongoing World Economic Forum Annual Meetings present a rare opportunity for Zimbabwe to further the aspirations of its foreign policy, as engagement and re-engagement take centre stage.
This year`s theme, *History at a turning Point, Government Policies and Business Strategies* speaks to the Zimbabwe`s foreign policy philosophy, in which it is willing to sustain existing relationships, create new relationships and mend some which may have been affected by events of history.
President Mnangagwa, who left the country for the forum on Sunday, is making his third appearance at this prestigious meeting where more than 2000 world leaders in business, politics and civil society converge.
He is expected to take advantage of the engagements to expound on the Open for Business” mantra and the “Friend to all and enemy to none” foreign policy trajectory as a way of reassuring investors and other partners.
“His Excellency, the President Cde ED Mnangagwa, will take advantage of the opportunity whilst networking with other world leaders to emphasize that Zimbabwe is a friend to all and an enemy to none,” said Ambassador Frederick Shava in a statement to the media.
President Mnangagwa, since coming into power in 2017, has reconfigured the Zimbabwean Foreign policy to focus on and emphasise what has become known as economic diplomacy, which he, as Chief diplomat has always stuck to, emphasising business at the expense of politics in all his engagements.
The President values business above politics as the former addresses livelihoods of the people as opposed to the later.
“Let me highlight that the annual meeting brings together selected 2000 world leaders, Presidents, Chief executive officers from WEF member companies, academics, the media and civil society leaders to engage and discuss key issues of global concern,” Minister Shava added.
President Mnangagwa will indeed have a success story to share with the world as the country emerges from a devastating period of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The country managed to earn world admiration in the way it managed to contain the disease and to roll out one of the most effective vaccine acquisition and rollout exercises.
The country managed to set the bar high for fellow African countries, some of whom had a privilege to receive an IMF grant to fight the disease.
Zimbabwe will however not pretend to be blind to unfolding geopolitical events whose impact threatens global economic recovery.
“The Davos Forum provides Zimbabwe with a platform to market itself to the world. Since the World Economic Forum focuses on many other issues of global concern which are not purely economic.
His Excellency will also take the opportunity to share with the world the measures and strategies that have led to Zimbabwe registering high vaccine rates in the region for Covid-19 compared to the neighbouring countries, recommendations on how African countries can build resilience to the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” said Ambassador Shava.
It is expected that President Mnangagwa will take the opportunity to highlight to the world the struggle that Zimbabwe has endured over the years to grow its economy while under the yoke of unilateral Western economic sanctions.
The reengagement policy embraces all countries as friends and partners in global affairs and as such,a it is uncalled for to have a few countries keeping devastating sanctions in place for 20 years.
The Zimbabwean economy, whose resilience continues to surprise analysts, recently recorded growth above Africa’s projected growth and is oozing with the potential to become a beacon of African economies within a few years if sanctions are removed.
President Mnangagwa will have a good day in office as his inaugural 2018 message of “Open for Business” still resonates and has seen massive results on the ground.
Recently, Switzerland added another feather to its portfolio of investments into the Zimbabwean market with m the opening of the Swiss Bioceutical AG, a company in the Commercial production of Medicinal Cannabis.
The Switzerland case will provide a good testament to the suitability of Zimbabwe as ripe investment destination.
Switzerland boasts of some of the most resilient investments into Zimbabwe such as LafargeHolcim, Nestlé, Bata Shoe company, Schindler, ABB, Syngenta, Pure Africa, and Organic Africa.
This year’s forum runs under the theme, “History at a turning Point, Government Policies and Business Strategies.”
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